Dispensing device



May 18, 1965 P. J. s. WILLSHAW DISPENSING DEVICE Filed Nov. 27, 1962 United States Patent C) 3,184,123 DISPENSENG DEVCE Philip Joseph Stretton Wllshaw, Southgate, London, England, assigner to The Diversey Corporation, Chi. cago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Nov. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 240,228 7 Claims. (Cl. 222-321) This invention relates to dispenser used to withdraw a liquid from a container.

In one form of the invention the dispenser is provided with a normally iixed, hollow cylindrical casing, which may be held by hand or by any other means. An end piece on theY forward end of the casing is used to enclose or house a first one-way valve to permit entry of the liquid from the container into the casing. A cap on the rearward end has an opening therein through which a plunger comprising a tubular rod makes a sliding lit. The plunger is slidably sealed to the inside of said casing by sea-ling means at or adjacent the forward end of the rod. An outlet tube and a second one-Way valve are supported at the rearward end.

In the operation of dispensers of this kind, the movement of the outlet tube arising from the movement of the plunger is often found to be inconvenient. For instance, if the outlet tube is flexible and if the open end of the outlet tube is inserted into the mouth of a receiving vessel so that the liquid may be fed into the same, the end of the tube may have to be held tightly in the mouth so as to prevent its jumping out.

This invention is directed to a dispenser of the general type mentioned. It has suitable holding means attached to the cap end for engaging a iiexible outlet tube extension to restrain the dispensing end portion of the extension against reciprocation. A tiexible tube extension is provided between the holding means and the outlet tube which is of sutlcient length to permit substantially free movement of the plunger during the periods of dispenser operation.

lt is convenient to provide the holding means in the form of a clip into which the flexible extension may be inserted laterally. The cylindrical casing, the end piece and the cap may be of any suitable material, with it being noted that where use is primarily to dispense detergent materials and liquids from the container and organic plastic material suitably molded is found particularly satisfactory. Under these conditions the holding means may readily be molded integrally with the cap.

in order to protect the sea-ling means from being damaged by being thrust against the end piece, the sealing means may be fixed t-o the tubular plunger at a position spaced from its forward end. Alternatively, the sealing means may be engaged with the plunger by being clamped between a separately formed, tubular portion and the forward end. rl'his structure then may be permanently secured, for instance, by cement, or it may be detachable to allow the replacement of the sealing means.

In one arrangement according to this invention, the dispenser comprises attachment means for securing the dispenser into the mouth of the container from which the liquid is to be withdrawn. The attachment means are suitably formed by providing a skirt on the cap. The skirt is arranged coaxial of and outside of the casing. This skirt may be internally threaded so as to engage threads on a projecting mouth of the container, or it may be molded in a iiexible plastics material so as to slip over a projecting month of the container.

One preferred embodiment of this invention has been illustrated by the accompanying drawings of which:

FIGURE l is an isometric View;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal section of the embodiment shown in FIGURE l and FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail to represent the sealing between the inner tube and the casing.

Referring now to the drawings for a further understanding of the invention the end piece l is formed integrally with the cylindrical casing 2 or securely attached thereto. The end piece 1 houses a first one-way valve 3 which permits iiow of iiuid through the inlet pipe l (shown only partially in section in FIGURE 2) secured, as by cementing, into the end piece l. A cap member 5 is secured to the rearward end of the casing 2. This cap has a holding clip 6 and an outwardly extending skirt 7 preferably formed integrally therewith. The skirt 7 is coaxial of and extends outside and slightly rearwardly of the casing. It is internally threaded so as to engage threads on a projecting mouth of a container from which liquid is to be withdrawn.

The cap 5 also has an opening through which a tubular member S makes a sliding tit. This tubular member S is slidably sealed at its forward end to the inside of the casing 2 by an annular resilient seal 9 which is clamped between a tubular portion lil and the forward end of the tubular member S. The resilient seal or packing 9 which extends between the tubular portion 10 of the member 8 and the internal wall of the casing 2 is more particularly set forth by the enlarged view of FIGURE 3. The tubular portions il and lil are usually secured by cementing together. A ring-like handle ll is secured to the outer end of the tubular member 8. An outlet tube l2 leads into a chamber l to which a capping-type element 14 is secured at the rearward end to form a closure element. In the formed chamber or housing i4 a second one-way valve l5 is arranged to permit tiuid to flow from the tube 8 into the chamber or housing 13 but not in the reverse direction. The outlet tube l2 communicates with the chamber i3 and has extension la placed thereupon. The tube lr6 is slipped with a lateral movement into the holding clip 6 in such a way that suilicient exible tube extension is left between the holding clip and the outlet tube to permit free movement of the tubular member 8 within the casing 2.

As a device particularly useful in dispensing detergents from a container it has been found practical to mold the unit from a suitable organic plastic, of which there are many known and suitable. Under such conditions various parts may be integrally molded as above noted. Further, in many instances parts may be secured by cementing or threading. Such construction illustrates a very practical form of the device but it is apparent that metallic components may readily be used as alternatives where desired.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A dispenser for liquid comprising: a tubular casing member having an inlet valve at one end, a centrally opened capping member secured at the opposite end, means to secure the cap to a vesse-l from which liquid is to be withdrawn, an inner tubular plunger supported within the casing and extending through the length of the casing from the inlet -valve through the cap opening, said cap central opening providing a guide through which the tubular plunger is adapted to be reciprocated, a capping member on the end of the tubular plunger remote from the inlet valve to form a liquid-receiving chamber, means to seal the outer wall of the tubular plunger against the inner wall of the tubular casing to preclude leakage therebetween, means to provide for reciprocation of the plunger within the casing thereby to draw liquid into the plunger, valve means to permit liquid drawn into the tubular plunger to be directed therefrom into the said chamber,

enemies a iiexible outlet means secured to the chamber and adapted to receive liquid and then to dispense liquid concurrently with a reciprocating movement of the plunger, an outlet tube clamp means secured to the capping member, and means to secure a sufcient length of the exible outlet tubular member to accommodate the two extreme positions of the plunger between the dispensing chamber and the clamp, thereby to restrain the free-end of the outlet tube from reciprocation with plunger movement.

2. A liquid dispenser comprising a substantially tubular main body, a capping means attached to one end of the tubular main body having a substantially central opening therein, a tubular plunger element posit-ioned internally of the main body and extending through the capping means opening and adapted to be guided therein for reciprocal movement within the tubular body, a iiexible outlet tube having one end connected to the end of tubular plunger element extending through the capping means and in communicating relationship with the passage through said tubular plunger, a tube holding means attached to the cap yfor engaging a region of the outlet tube between its connected and free ends to restrain the outlet tube section beyond the holding means from changing its position relative to the dispenser body with reciprocal movement of the tubular plunger within the said main tubular body, the tube length between the end of the tubular plunger and the securing cap being sufficient to accommodate the extreme positions of the plunger relative to the main tubular body, means to introduce iiuid into the tubular body, and means to seal the plunger within the main tubular body so that reciprocal plunger movement forces fluid from Within the body outwardly through the tubular plunger.

3. The dispenser according to claim 2 comprising, in addition, sealing means surrounding the outer portion of the inner end of the tubular plunger and extending between theV said tubular plunger and the inner wall of the tubular main body for sealing the twoelements relative to each other.

4. The dispenser yclaimed in claim 3 in which the said sealing means is aiiXed substantially adjacent to the end of the plunger remote from the connected outlet tube.

5. The dispenser claimed in claim 2 comprising, in addition, attachment means -for securing the tubular main body into the mouth of a container which is adapted to supply the fluid to be Withdrawn from the main body.

`6. The dispenser claimed in claim 5 wherein the attachment means comprises an overhanging skirt means on the capping means extending coaxially of and externally to the tubular main body, and an internal threading on the overhanging skirt for securing the said tubular main body to the said container. f-

7. A liquid dispenser comprising a substantially tubular main body, a capping means attached to one end of the tubular main body, said capping means having a substantially central opening therein, an inlet pipe and oneway valve means attached to the opposite end of the said tubular body for permitting ii-uid to be drawn into the `said body, a tubular plunger element positioned internally of the main body and extending outwardly through the opening within the-capping means, means to resiliently seal the plunger element to .the internal Wall of the tubular body, the said plunger being adapted for slidable re- -ciprocation within the body with the cap opening providing a guide for the plunger, a flexible outlet tube having one end connected in communicating relationship with interior portion of the end of tubular plunger element eX- tending through the capping means, a tube-holding means attached to the cap for engaging a region of the outlet tube between its connected and free ends to restrain the outlet tube section beyond the holding means from changing its position relative to the tubular body upon reciprocal movement of the tubular plunger Within the main tubular body thereby to bend the tube to accommodate its two limiting positions, the resilient seal providing means to draw iiuid into -the tubular main body with outward plunger movement and to provide a means to force fluid from within the body outwardly through the tubular plunger and outlet tube upon plunger movement internally of the main tubular body.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED sTATes PATENTS 1,746,524 2/ 30 `Corson 222--385 2,547 ,109 4/5i1 Bachelier 222-385 2,987,228 `6/ 61 Matson 222--530 X RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner. LOUIS I. DEMBO, Examiner. 

1. A DISPENSER FOR LIQUID COMPRISING: A TUBULAR CASING MEMBER HAVING AN INLET VALVE AT ONE END, A CENTRALLY OPENED CAPPING MEMBER SECURED AT THE OPPOSITE END, MEANS TO SECURE THE CAP TO A VESSEL FROM WHICH LIQUID IS TO BE WITHDRAWN, AN INNER TUBULAR PLUNGER SUPPORTED WITHIN THE CASING AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE LENGTH OF THE CASING FROM THE INLET VALVE THROUGH THE CAP OPENING, SAID CAP CENTRAL OPENING PROVIDING A GUIDE THROUGH WHICH THE TUBULAR PLUNGER IS ADAPTED TO BE RECIPROCATED, A CAPPING MEMBER ON THE END OF THE TUBLAR PLUNGER REMOTE FROM THE INLET VALVE TO FORM A LIQUID-RECEIVING CHAMBER, MEANS TO SEAL THE OUTER WALL OF THE TUBULAR PLUNGER AGAINST THE INNER WALL OF THE TUBULAR CASING TO PRECLUDE LEAKAGE THEREBETWEEN, MEANS TO PROVIDE FOR RECIPROCATION OF THE PLUNGER WITHIN THE CASING THEREBY TO DRAW LIQUID INTO THE PLUNGER, VALVE MEANS TO PERMIT LIQUID DRAWN INTO THE TUBULAR PLUNGER TO BE DIRECTED THEREFROM INTO THE SAID CHAMBER, A FLEXIBLE OUTLET MEANS SECURED TO THE CHAMBER AND ADAPTED 